This is where we ended our U.S. romp and it was a great place to finish. We made some incredible new friends and gave our taste buds one last jiggle.

Again, this was somewhere that i never really associated with great food. All i knew about Seattle was that people were very in to the Seahawks and that the sea-food was pretty good.

I must start with the best burger that i have ever eaten in a restaurant (In n Out, you are still the best fast food burger). The burger i am talking about was put together in a real neat little place called Von’s. I had come across this place online and initially thought it would be a great place for drinks (the full name of the place is Von’s 1000 Spirits). They do, indeed have the most insane amount of spirits behind their bar.

I get the feeling this place is a bit of a Seattle institution. Inside, there were businessmen, families and students.

I had the Brown Sugared Peach Manhattan and it was everything i could have wished for..and more. After a sip, i knew i needed food.

I cannot articulate just how good this burger was. It was simply a classic that had been executed perfectly. If you visit anywhere for food in Seattle..this place is it.

We also sampled some of the gorgeous seafood that Seattle had on offer. We were not disappointed. First off there was Elliott’s Oyster House. A lovely, laid-back restaurant situated right by the water (always a winner). We must have had 3 rounds of oysters paired with some gorgeous sparkling wine.

Just looking back at that photograph makes me wanna hop, skip and jump right back to that moment. It was beautiful.

Sticking with the seafood theme, we also had some fantastic sushi at Japonessa. I loved the vibe of the place, there was a real mix of people and i thought the value for money was excellent. I have got to say, this really blew me away. I know that sushi snobs will grimace at sweetcorn on sushi but i give zero fucks. IT WAS SPLENDID. Haters, be gone.

I will leave you with a shot of the prettiest drinking hole i have ever visited- Unicorn Bar. It’s not for everyone but i loved the camp-ness. I cannot wait to get back to Seattle.

Okay. Can we talk about how ridiculously good the food scene is in Austin?! Of all of my U.S posts, this one will probably be the hardest to create. There was just SO much.

I stayed just off Rainey Street and didn’t actually move too far from there the whole week i was in Austin. Me and my husband were visiting family and didn’t actually have huge expectations when it came to food.

The weather was beautiful the entire time we were there and we heard lots of great live music. I wish London was this cool!

On arrival, there was only one thing i wanted. Was it BBQ? No. I know, WHAT? We heard that there was an In n Out in Austin and we lost our shit. The best burger chain. Every time we are in California it is a ritual. It’s the first place we visit straight off a long haul flight. I nearly cried with happiness when i saw online that there was one in Austin.

The one great constant in life:

So you’re probably thinking, “Austin, good BBQ?”

I would say ‘EPIC BBQ” surprisingly, my favourite dish at Freedmen’s was not a juicy rib. It was vegetarian! I KNOW. The smoked beets really put me in a spin.

I am no pro food photographer, but COME ON:

The meat was amazing, too. Every time i eat BBQ down south in America i am left savouring every bite, wishing that somewhere in London would produce something as good. I’ve not yet found anywhere that comes close.

I would say the sweet treats were on par with the savoury, for sure. We tracked down a great little dessert spot on the side of the freeway NEXT TO A GYM (only in Austin). Oh my god. The creamiest, most delicious sundae i have ever eaten. You cannot miss this place when you’re in Austin. Cow Tipping Creamery.

I have got to say the best food i ate on my Austin trip, was at Torchy’s. It’s a tex-mex place (i know, i know, hear me out), in London we cannot do tex-mex. It’s sloppy crap with bad ingredients put together with no thought or love. This place is different. I’m no food snob. This is just simple, delicious food. The kind that i would love to be able to eat after a couple of drinks back in Essex. Sadly, i know this will probably never be a reality.

The shrimp tacos were another level good. We ate here 3 times on our trip, and i regret that we didn’t go back for a fourth.

I need to get back here VERY soon. Can you reccomend any other great places in Austin for m inevitable trip back?

I had the most incredible time back in the summer visiting friends and family in the States. Obviously, i had to try as much delicious food as i could stuff in to my ever-growing stomach. I had a food baby that lasted 2 weeks and i regret nothing.

I had the opportunity to eat in some of the most incredible places and provide me with some inspiration that i desperately needed.

So, Brooklyn was first. I have a friend that moved from the UK to New York pretty recently and decided to go and visit, sing a lot of bad karaoke, drink Bloody Mary’s around the clock and in general make bad (or brilliant) life choices. This is the first time i stayed outside of Manhattan and loved it! The food scene in Brooklyn is amazing, there is creativity around every corner and bars that i could quite happily spend a year of my life in.

My highlight of the trip was discovering Roberta’s Pizza. Honestly AMAZING. The only pizza in London i can compare it to is Home Slice. Simple thin crust done perfectly. The place is located in Bushwick, an arty neighbourhood that seems to be changing rapidly. Out back of the restaurant there was a cute Hawaiian-style yard. The place is huge and was insanely busy (always a good sign, right?).

The best Bloody Mary that i have ever drank (i know, i know, its a HUGE statement) was at Marlow and Sons. It was around 11am and i was severely hungover, the only thing that would get me through the day was a punchy, spicy drink with enough vodka in it to revive a tired traveller. I was not expecting the dish i ordered (oats with kale) to be anything special. Boy, was I wrong.

I could not leave Brooklyn without visiting Martha’s Country Bakery in Williamsburg. I found myself strolling by so many times on the way to other places, by the 3rd day of my visit i was itching to get inside! This strawberry shortcake layer was absolutely life-changing. The lightness of the sponge and perfect balance of flavours really won me over.

One day i needed to go in to Midtown with my friend, I let her guide me and my rumbling stomach to a charming little tapas place called Tia Pol. She knew the chef there and he whipped us up a couple of delights. My favourite by far was a sweet Goat’s cheese flan. I had reservations. GOATS CHEESE and FLAN. Those two words together. WHAT. It worked. It didn’t only work, it was divine! The tartness of the goats cheese with the syrup was the type of wizardry i would like to experience every day.

I cannot wait to head back to Brooklyn and eat even more. If anyone has any recommendations for my next trip please feel free to let me know!